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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. staff — a stick
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. field — farmland
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ball — a great time
  16. field — for sport
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bass — the fish
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — low music
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. field — a subject
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com